National People's Congress to open in Beijing

Updated
March 05, 2014 08:51:00

The National People's Congress opens today in Beijing. Australian businesses will focus on China's economic targets but the Congress will also address the country's chronic pollution and its tense relations with neighbouring countries. Chinese officials say they have caught or killed all of the Muslim separatists who murdered at least 29 and wounded 149 on the weekend in a frenzied knife attack planned to coincide with the event.

CHRIS UHLMANN: Chinese officials say they have now caught or killed all of the Muslim separatists who murdered at least 29 travellers and wounded 149 in a frenzied knife attack on the weekend.

The horrifying assault at a train station in China's southwest was designed to coincide with the country's most important political meeting, the National People's Congress, which opens today.

The gruesome independence protest has overshadowed other issues to be raised at the Congress, but Australian business will be focused on the announcement of the country's all-important economic targets.

Then there are the questions about what the Communist Party intends to do about its chronic pollution in China, and its tense relations with neighbouring countries like Japan and the Philippines.

China correspondent Stephen McDonell will be covering the Congress for AM and he prepared this report from Beijing.

(Sound of traffic)

STEPHEN MCDONELL: Security is tight around the Great Hall of the People. This morning nearly 3,000 delegates to the National People's Congress are in Beijing just days after a brutal knife assault from so-called Muslim separatists left dozens dead and more than 100 injured. China's most important political gathering is clearly a potential target for another attack.

The Congress will open today with China's version of the "State of the Union" address from Number two leader, premier Li Keqiang.

Crucial to Australia will be the government's economic projections for the future. Steel over-production in places like Hebei has already eaten into China's iron ore and coal imports.

In terms of the overall economy, the ABC spoke to a senior government official who said that over the next 12 months, GDP growth will be allowed to drop to 7 per cent if need be and inflation could rise to 3.5 per cent without Premier Li intervening with countermeasures.

The premier will also be expected to offer up something on military tensions with Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as the possibility for competing maritime claims to trigger conflict in the region.

Former Chinese ambassador to Australia Fu Ying is spokeswoman for the Congress.

(Sound of Fu Ying speaking)

"We insist on peaceful resolutions to solve issues through negotiation," she said. "If some issues can't be resolved immediately, we can put difficulties aside and, for example, co-develop an area. But if some countries want to challenge or to destroy a common agreement, to endanger regional peace, to destroy regional order, then China must respond in an effective way."

The nine-day Congress will discuss many of its problems behind closed doors, but the central bank chief, the foreign minister and delegates representing the province from where the weekend attackers are said to have emerged will all face the media to discuss this country's enormous challenges.